News & Events

Air Quality Action Day scheduled for Friday, June 4, 2010

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Discussion:
The trough moving into the region on Thursday will have a tough time advancing much farther south on Friday. Therefore, warm and muggy air with partly sunny skies will linger throughout much of the day. These factors, combined with an extremely stagnant airmass already in place over the region for the past few days, will result in Code Orange Ozone levels late Friday afternoon. This will be our first forecast Ozone Action Day of the season. Particulate Matter will be elevated into the Moderate range across the region as well. High temperatures will once again be much above normal for this time of year, reaching into the upper 80s by evening.

Extended:
This weekend appears unsettled as two systems make a run at our region. On Saturday, expect fair skies and continued warm and muggy conditions for much of the afternoon. An area of low pressure will pass to our north later in the day, dragging scattered showers and thunderstorms through the region towards evening. Ozone levels could once again reach Unhealthy levels if the clouds and precipitation hold off till later in the day. On Sunday, a much stronger storm system will move into the region from the west. Potent upper level energy will push this low pressure and an associated cold front all the way through Pennsylvania by Sunday night. Expect mostly cloudy skies on Sunday with frequent showers and perhaps even some steadier rainfall. Air quality levels will drop overnight Saturday into the lower Moderate range for Sunday. A fresh, clean airmass will move into Pennsylvania following the departure of this storm system on Monday. Sunny skies and cool, dry conditions will finally return to the area for the first part of the work week.